DECroUOTJS TEEES. 29 



There are also numerous, fancy varieties, such as the tricolor, 

 variegated-leaved, purple-leaved, cut-leaved, etc., etc., all of 

 which are curious, and desirable in grounds of large extent; but 

 in places where a limited number only can have place, the 

 purple-leaved is the one particularly desirable. Its leaves are 

 purplish underneath and- pale green above when'fully expanded; 

 and at midsummer and thereafter until the fall of the leaf, every 

 breeze that ruffles and disturbs them produces a siugular and 

 pleasing effect in contrast with the foliage of other varieties. 



The ash-leaved maple or box elder (negundo fraxinifolmm) 

 is a very rapid-growing variety, of great beauty from its peculiar 

 formed leaves and its pale green smooth young wood. It makes 

 a large tree when grown in a deep, rich, moist soil ; but la a light 

 sandy loam or good garden soil, it forms a tree of medium size, 

 that from its color of young wood in winter is exceedingly 

 attractive and pleasing. It groups admirably with pines. 



As a family, the maples have in themselves perhaps more of 

 the elements for ornamental uses than any other; for when 

 planted singly they are nearly.all beautiful, some of them par- 

 ticularly so ; and such is their diversity of foliage in spring and 

 autumn, that a group of maples alone combines some of the 

 most pleasing contrasts obtained in landscape adornment. 



Magnolia. — To this family, many varieties of which are the 

 pride of our Southern States, too little attention is given by the 

 majority of tree planters; whether it is that good plants are 

 difficult to be obtained, or whether it is because the trees are 

 rather sensitive and unwilling to be carelessly and negligently 

 handled when transplanting, we find few planters make room 

 for them on their lists or in their grounds ; but how any land- 

 scapist can form an extensive group of evergreens and deciduous 

 trees without using magnolias, is beyond our comprehension. 

 In our experience, we have found no difficulty when transplant- 

 ing, provided we kept the roots from cold drying winds or clear 



